EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO
gas_transmission Incident — — February 5, 2023
Incident Information
| Incident Date | February 5, 2023 |
| Operator | EL PASO NATURAL GAS CO |
| Commodity | NATURAL GAS |
| Pipeline Type | gas_transmission |
Location
| State | |
| Coordinates | 32.60694, -103.30833 |
Cause
| Cause | EQUIPMENT FAILURE |
| Subcause | MALFUNCTION OF CONTROL/RELIEF EQUIPMENT |
Casualties
| Fatalities | 0 |
| Injuries | 0 |
Costs
| Property Damage | $0 |
| Emergency Response | $100 |
| Other Costs | $0 |
Location Map
Incident Narrative
"AT 10:09AM MST ON FEBRUARY 5, 2023, A FAULTY HAZARDOUS GAS DETECTOR IN THE CONTROL ROOM OF EL PASO NATURAL GAS (EPNG) EUNICE B COMPRESSOR STATION CAUSED THE COMPRESSOR STATION TO UNDERGO AN EMERGENCY SHUTDOWN (ESD). DURING THE SHUTDOWN, SUCTION VALVE VB1 DID NOT CLOSE FULLY CAUSING GAS TO CONTINUE TO VENT. THIS LED TO A RELEASE OF 5,459 MCF GAS RELEASE. AT 11:03AM, AN EPNG EMPLOYEE ARRIVED AT SITE, CLOSED THE VALVE, STOPPING THE GAS RELEASE, AND RETURNED THE STATION TO NORMAL OPERATION. THERE WERE NO INJURIES OR FATALITIES. THE INVESTIGATION INTO THIS VALVE MALFUNCTION DETERMINED THAT THERE WAS FLAWED PROGRAMMING IN THE PLC LOGIC WHICH HAS BEEN RESOLVED."
About This Pipeline Incident
Pipeline incident data is reported to the Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). All significant incidents involving fatalities, injuries, or property damage over $50,000 must be reported.